Middle East

Houthis, Yemen Government to Exchange Nearly 3,000 Prisoners: Officials

This is Beirut 13:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Houthi United Nations Conflict Prisoners

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and its internationally-recognised government have agreed to a prisoner swap that includes nearly 3,000 people in total, including seven Saudis, officials from both sides said Tuesday. The deal came after nearly a fortnight of discussions between Yemeni officials from both sides in Muscat, the capital of ...

Israel Accuses Lebanese Army of Cooperation with Hezbollah

This is Beirut 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

IsraeliArmy LebaneseArmy Lebanon Israel

The Israeli Army on Tuesday accused the Lebanese Armed Forces of cooperating with Hezbollah, describing the alleged coordination as a “serious matter,” following airstrikes carried out in the southern city of Saida on Monday. In a statement posted on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israeli forces carried out what he ...

AnalysisWhy was Sharaa Invited to Washington, but not Aoun?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Washington Lebanon Lebanese Army Syria Joseph Aoun Ahmad al-Sharaa

Until late 2024, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a U.S.-designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head for leading the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. By contrast, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) until his election in January 2025, was widely regarded as one of ...

Deadly Clashes in Aleppo as Turkey Urges Kurds Not to Be Obstacle to Syria's Stability

This is Beirut 22/12 22:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Aleppo

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces on Monday ordered their fighters to cease fire following deadly clashes that came as Turkey's top diplomat urged the Kurds to integrate into the Syrian army. At least three people were killed in the clashes, which came ahead of a deadline for implementing a March 10 agreement between Damascus and ...

Turkish Ministers to Meet Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

This is Beirut 22/12 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Hakan Fidan Ahmad al-Sharaa

Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers held a joint press conference after talks in Damascus, focusing on relations between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey’s foreign minister said discussions covered ongoing talks with the SDF and reaffirmed Ankara’s support for integrating the group into Syrian forces in a ...

Italy Says Wants Military to Stay in Lebanon After UN Peacekeepers Leave

This is Beirut 22/12 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon United Nations Italy UNIFIL

Italy said Monday it intends to keep a military presence in Lebanon even after the UN peacekeeping force it belongs to leaves as planned on December 31, 2026. "Even after (the peacekeeping force) UNIFIL, Italy will continue to do its part, supporting with conviction the international presence and supporting the capacity development of the ...

Iran Says Missile Programme Defensive, Non-Negotiable

This is Beirut 22/12 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel United States Iran Diplomacy

Iran insisted on Monday that its missile program was defensive in nature and designed to dissuade attack, while adding the existence of its arsenal was not up for debate. Israel had presented Iran's ballistic missiles, along with its nuclear program, as the two main threats it sought to neutralize during the 12-day war the foes fought in ...

Focus UNRWA in the Crosshairs: U.S. Weighs Unprecedented Sanctions

Amal Chmouny 22/12 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

United Nations Lebanon Donald Trump Hamas UNRWA

In the shadow of the Gaza conflict, a quiet but consequential debate is unfolding in Washington over whether the U.S. should designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as a terrorist-affiliated entity and impose sweeping sanctions. A move once viewed as unthinkable is now the subject of urgent policy deliberations, with senior ...

SDF Arrest Senior IS Cell Leader in Syria's Eastern Deir Ezzor

This is Beirut 21/12 19:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Syrian Democratic Forces Syria Islamic State Group

The Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement on Sunday that their elite units arrested a senior Islamic State cell leader during a security operation in eastern Deir Ezzor province. The SDF said the suspect supplied weapons, ammunition, and explosive devices to Islamic State cells operating in the area, describing him as one of the group’s ...

US Senator Accuses Hamas and Hezbollah of Rearming

This is Beirut 21/12 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lindsey Graham Hamas Hezbollah Lebanon Israel United States

US Senator Lindsey Graham accused Hamas and Hezbollah of rearming during a visit to Israel on Sunday and charged that the Palestinian Islamist group was also consolidating power in Gaza. After two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory, a fragile ceasefire has held since October, despite both sides trading accusations ...

Israel's Security Cabinet Approves 19 New Settlements in West Bank

This is Beirut 21/12 13:16 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel West Bank Israeli Settlements Palestinians

Israel's security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country's far-right finance minister said on Sunday was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a ...

One Million Refugees Are Expected to Return to Syria in 2026

This is Beirut 21/12 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria UNHCR Refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) predicted that around one million Syrian refugees will return to their country during 2026, given the gradual recovery that Syria is witnessing after the fall of the Assad regime. Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR representative in Syria, stated, "Our estimates indicate that 2026 could see ...